Advertising sign



July 9, 1929. RlvKlN 1.720.441

ADVERTISING SIGN Original Filed April 30, 1926 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR mm M ATTORNEYS July 9, 1929. M. RIVKIN ADVERTISING SIGN 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Original Filed April 30, 1926 6310 K I Q INVENTOR WWW ATTORNEY6.

Patented July 9, 1929.

Lizthd ll PATENT OFFIQE.

MENAHEM RIVKIN, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

ADVERTiSING SIGN.

original application filed April 30, 1926, Serial No. 105,774. Divided and this application filed May 3,

This invention relates to advertising signs, and more especially to signs wherein the letters or characters may be readily formed or changed without reconstructing the sign, and it is a division of an application filed by me April 30, 1926, Serial No. 105,774.

An object of the invention is to provide an advertising sign having an apertured body, the openings therein being closed by plugs, so that by arrangin the pl is in the openings various char-act ools may he produced.

Another object of the iiiivcntion is to provide an illun'iinated sign wherein effects may be obtained by shifting the relative positions of the sign structure.

Another object is to produce an eflicnnit, strong and durable sign which may be economically constructed and operated.

Other objects and advantages will hereinafter appear.

The views of the drawings are:

Figure 1 is a front elevation of an. 1lll11111- nated sign constructed according to my mvention Fig. 2 is a vertical section on the line 2-2 of 1;

Fig 3 is an elevation showing another form of the invention;

Fig. 4 is a vertical section taken on the line l-4 of Fig. 8;

Fi 5 is an ei'ilargemcnt of a portion of the structure shown by Fig. 1;

Fig. 6 is a section taken on the line 6 of Fi 5;

i s. 7 and 8 are respectively a side vation and an end el vation of a de ice for simultaneously actuating elements of the sign; x

Fig. 9 a front ele ation of another form of the invention;

Fig. 10 is a side elevation partly 111 section of the structure shown in. Fig. 9;

Fig. 11 is a detail section taken on the line 11-11 ofFig. 9;

Fig. 12 a front elevation of another form of the invention;

Fig. 13 is a side elevation of the structure shown in Fig. 12;

Fig. 14 is a section taken on the line 1 l-l4 of Fig. 12;

Serial No. 188,526.

Fig. 15 is an elevation of another form of the invention;

Fig. 16 is a section taken on the line 161G of Fig. 15; and

Fig. 17 is a detail section illustrating a modified form of plug element.

Referring to the drawings, my invention contemplates apparatus particularly useful. as an advertising sign, wherein light rays may be projected through a cellular body so constructed to produce desired. visual effects.

In Figs. 1 and 2 the form of the invention illustrated comprises a frame 1 pivoted. at 2 to a base 3.

If so desired, the frame 1 may be rectangular in outline, while the base 2-3 may be in the form ofa pair of bars which project rearwardly from the bottom of the frame.

Due to the pivotal connection between the frame and the base, it is possible to set the frame at any desired angle, and therefore,

in order to provide means for locking the frame in position relative to the base 3. such base may be provided with a pair of slotted arcuate tLlIIlS 1, which are disposed adjacent to the two side walls of the frame. In the slots of the arms 4; are threaded shanks 6 projecting laterally from the sides of the frame. Screwed onto the shanks 6 are wing nuts 7 which bear against the outside of the arms and clamp the some to the side of the frame.

Mounted in the front of the frame is a cellular body 8 having an outline corresponding, generally to the outline of the frame, and having a suitable thickness.

The cellular bodyS may be made in any desired manner with apertures of any desired cross section and arrangement, and, as shown, it should preferably be in the form of a honeycomb, having vertical and horizontal rows of openings. If so desired, the body 8 may be formed by nesting a plurali of tubes together and then. uniting such tubes by filling in the spaces therebetwecn with a suitable binder. Or any other means may be employed for producing the body.

The front wall of the frame is open so that when thebody 8 is assembled therein all of the openings in the body will be exposed, the structure having the appearance of a blank perforated surface.

Vl ith the blank surface which is PITOVl-iltil by the cellular body I am enabled to obtain various effects.

Such effects may be obtained by plugging; certain of the cells of the body so as to prevent the passage of light therethrough One arrangement is illustrated in F 1 and 2 wherein plugs 9 are inserted in certain i of the cells, the result being); the formation a border lOof a particular design, which the bottom thereof, are grooved as indicated by the reference character 12, Fig. 2, to support a screen 13, in the form of a sheet of glass. This screen niay have any color desired. It may, furthermore, be translucent or it may be clear. In addition to serving as ascreen, the sheet of glass acts as a back for the body 8 and its associated parts. Preferably the screen-13 is spaced a suitable distance from the body. A similar screen may also be placed in the space ll in front the base of the body 8 when different effects are desired.

The side walls of the frame extend backwardly from thesereen a suitable distance. Hinged respectively to the top and bottom of the frame are plates is and 15, the lower plate 15 extending upwardly at a angle to and being; adjustably retained in pos tion by means of a rod 16 passed through perforations 17 in theside walls 'lhe perforations 17 are vertically disposed relatively to eachother so that a co iiderable provided for adjusting the position .01 the plate 15.

On the other hand, the of the plate 14 bent downwardly and then forwardly to provide an arc-uate surface for hearing on the contiguous portion of the plate 15. V

The arrangement of the parts is such that a reflector is formed in the back of the body 8; I

A source of illumination in the form of electric lamps 18 may be utilized. These lamps can be mounted in the curved portion of the plate l l, and when the angularity of the plate 15 is changed, by either raising or lowering the plate, there will also be a corresponding change in the angularitv of the rays of light from the lamps 18. In lieu ofthe d sposit on of the-lamps 18 illustrated,

any other arrz'ingement of lights may be used for producing various ell'ccts.

Vith the parts of the apparatus in the form shown by Figs. 3. and 2 no direct light rays will be visible through the body 8, as all of the rays projected through the openings in the body will be rays reflected by the surfaces of the plates. ll and 15. However, should the lamps in the reflector be lowered, then a portion of the hunt rays pa ;-:..-sin;r through the body 8 will be direct rays.

In this way various ligghtine cllects may be obtained with the apparatus, and the outline of the characters and symbols formed by plugging certain of the apertures in the body 8 will. be amplified.

The body 8 may be removably mounted in the frame, and it may be withdrawn therefrom by means of a handle 19.

In order to retain the body in proper spaced relation to the screen 13. the rear of the body, at each corner thereof is provided w h Jr. iecting feet 20.

The plugs 9 may be formed from any suitable niatcrial. In the form of the invention herein described, such plu s should be solid so that they will. prevent the light. rays from passing through the apertures in the body. However, the plugs may, if so desired, be formed from suitable lengths of co ored glass so that a variegated color ellect will be produced.

In practice various uses of the structure will be found. It is essentially useful as an illuminated sign adapted to be placed in store windows or suspended outside of bu.-:iness esdtblislnnents. The body may be (101istrueted in various lengths and forms suitable for permitting the formation of varioussymbols or other forms of characters, or several small units may be arranged so as to produce the desired eil cct. llowcww, in all such instances, the operation of the apparatus will be ie same, that. is to say, characters will be produced by plugging: selected openings in the cellular body to form the desired characters and then passing light rays through the openings not plugged, or through the transparei-it plugs in openings.

In the form of the invention shown by Figs. 3 and at, the apparatus includes a supporting frame 21 in which mounted a. plurality of cellular bodies 22.

The bodies 22 are composed of tubes zirranged in honey comb form, and bound together in a unitary mass. by joining" the adiacent abuttiiur surfaces of the tubes to nether. ll. so desired, the tubes may be welded together or they may be made inio a solid structure by any suitable method. However, as illustrated, the spaces between the tubes need not be filled, as shown in Fig. 1.

For the purpose of mounting the several sections in the frame 21, the top and bottom sides of the frame are provided with grooves 23 for receiving tongues or strips 24-. fastened along the edges of the bodies 22. In this way the bodies can be slid into the frame from one end thereof.

One side of the frame 2i adapted to carry a sheet of glass 25, which is spaced at suitable distance from the bodies 22, and serves a back for the structure. If de sired, another sheet of may beinsertcd in the space 26 on the opposite side of the device.

The sheet of glass serves as means for limiting the outward i'novement of any of the plugs, as will be readily understood.

The frame of the sign may have slotted brackets 54 projecting upwardly therefrom so that the device can be hung from a suitable support (not shown).

By referring to Figs. 5 and 6, it will be noticed that by inserting plugs. 9, into certain of the portions of the cellular body so as to block out the majority of the surface of the body, the result obtained will be reverse to that shown in Fig. 1. Thus, in producing the effect desired, the portion of the structure through which light. is permitted to pass is that portion which designates the design of the characters and symbols produced.

Should the cellular bodies of the apparatus contain plugs in all of the apertures therein, and it desired to quickly form a desired character or symbol by removing certain of the plugs, any method may be used for withdrawing the plugs from the bodies such as by means of a tool, one form of which is sliownby Figs. 7 and 8.

The tool comprises a body 27 having a suitable handle 28. Projecting from the face of the body opposite to the handle are pins 29 \vl'ich are arranged so as to corn form to the character desired to be pro duced. The pins are of such dimensions and they are so disposed. on the body 27 that they can enter the tubes of the structure to the extent of the desired displace ment and thus in one stroke may be accomplished the formation of a desired character, or symbol.

In some instances it is desirable to provide an illuminated sign, having charac tcris'tics of the forms of the invention here tofore described, but in which the form of the characters, etc. are fixed. One embodiment of such a form of the invention is illustrated in Figs. 9, l0 and ll, wherein a perforated plate has projecting there from a plurality of tubes 81.

The tubes 31 may be of any suitable length, and they may be arranged in any desired manner to produce the desired core figuration.

The plate may be mounted in a groove 32 formed in the sides of a frame The frame 33 should be open at the front so that light may pass through the tubes 31, and if so dos ed, the frame may have a buck 3-1 that is spaced from the plate 30.

A sheet of glass is carried by a groove 36 formed in the frame 33, such groove being contiguous to the groove 82 so that the h will be disposed adjacent to the date and serve as means for diffusing light rays from electric lamps 37 reflected by the back 84:.

The glass functions in a manner similar to that heretofore described for the glass 13.

In order to produce novel effects with the apparatus, the tubes may have inserted therein glass plugs in the form of tubes 38.

The tubes 38 have their outer ends closed, preferably being forn'ied in the manner clearly shown by Fig. 11 so that the result produced will simulate electric lamps. The tubes 38 may also be made of different colors, so that when the light from the elcctric lamps 3? is transmitted through the front of the apparatus variegated effects will be produced, as will be readily understood.

In l2, l3 and 14-, T have shown another form of the lDVGIliTlUD in which the cel lular body made in the form of an individual letter or character L0.

The tubes composing the character .10 are mounted in a frame all which may be mad e from n'ietal or any other suitable material. The frame 1-1 open to the front. and ri- Mounted in the tubes are plugs 42 having outwardly projecting pointed ends 43.

f so desired, the character 40 may be formed by using three rows of tubes to form In this Way, the central row its outline. of tubes can have mounted therein longer plugs 42 than the two outside rows of tubes. This form of the apparatus can be used to best advantage in any way found desirable. That to say, a plurality of the character 40 may be mounted on a plate to produce a sign similar in construction to that illus trated by Fig. 9, or the character could be mounted in a frame sin'iilarly constructed to the frame 1 shown in 1, so that light rays could be transmitted tlierethrough in the manner heretofore described.

In Figs. 15 and 16, the form of the invention illustrated comprises a frame 45 in which is disposed a plate 46 having opening's47.

The openings 47 may be formed in the manner shown byFig. 5, so that a plurality of tubes 48 can be fixed to the underside of the plate in alignment With the openings to provide a cellular structure simulating; the preferred form of the invention. All of the tubes contain plugs l9.

The underside of the frame may have pins projecting therefrom at conven'ent points ther'earound so that the frame and its associated parts will be spaced from a back piece 51.

By the constructionjust described it is possible to obtain novel effects. When certain of the plugs d9 in'the apertures d8 are moved inwardly until they abut the back piece 51, cavities will be formed in the apertures and the shadows made by the light crossing such cavities will produce sufficient contrast to clearly define the characters or symbols shown. However, to make the contrast more manifest, the color of the plugs in the apertures may be different from the color of the walls of the apertures.

In lieu of forming the characters or symbols by moving the plugs inwardly of the apertures, 't-h characters and symbols may be made by extending the plugs outwardly. In such case, the shadows cast by the projecting portions of the plugs will produce the effects desired.

If so desired the plugs -19 used in this form of the invention may be solid and non transparent, or they may be made from color'ed glass or. other suitable material. Pref erably the out-er surface of the plate 46 should have a light color, and the end of the plugs may also have the same color, so

that the ends of the plugs which lie flush with the outer surface of the plate will correspond to the color of the plate and form. a background.

In signs of relatively large size, the plugs may be formed with sockets 52 for electric lai'nps53, as shown in Fig. 17, whereby the visual effect on the surface of the sign may be stillfurther modified. In practice only a suflicient number of sockets 52 need be inits sorted as are necessary to define the'desired characters and symbols.

The invention claimed is 1. A member including a plurality of nested tubes, a plurality of removable rods for said tubes, certain of said rods being removed so that the ends of said tubes may represent a desired character, means for projecting light through said last-mentioned tubes, and light filtering means adjacent to said tubes.

2. A frame having aplurality of tubular elements positioned therein, corresponding ends of said elements defining opposite working surfaces, a plurality of plug elements extending between said working surfaces, said plug elements being removable, whereby different desired visual effects may be obtained depending upon the particular groups of plug elements removed, means for projecting light through said apertures to accentuate said effect, and light filtering means so associated with said frame as to accentuate said effects.

An aperturcd body composed of nested tubes, a plurality of rods for said tubes, said rods being removable so that one side of said body may have a desired visual effect, and means for projecting rays of light on said body at different angles.

4-. An apertured body composed of nested tubes, a plurality of rods for said tubes, said rods being removable so that one side of said body may have a desired visual effect, means for projecting rays of light on said body at different angles, and a screen for varying the effect .of said means.

5. An apertured body composed of unit ed tubes, aplurality of rods for said apertures, and illuminating means adjustably positioned with respect to said body, the latter being bodily movable.

(3. An advertising sign comprising an apertured body formed of a plurality of thin tubes nested close together, the ends of the said tubes lying in two opposite working surfaces, means for closing the said tubes, said means consisting of tinted transparent rods slidably mounted in the said tubes, and means for transmitting light through the said apertured body and the said rods mounted therein.

7. An advertising sign comprising an apertured body formed of a plurality of tubes nested close together, means for closing the said tubes consisting of tubular plug cicments formed from colored transparent material, said plug elements being slidably mounted in the said tubes, and means for transmitting light through the said apertured body and the said tubular plug elements mounted therein.

8. An advertising sign including a frame, an apertured body carried by said frame, said body being composed a plurality of tubes nested close together, with the ends of the tubes lying in t v0 opposite working surfaces, rods slidably mounted in the said tubes, and a substantially transparent means carried by and spaced from the said frame for limiting the relative movement of the said rods with respect to the said surfaces of the body.

9. An advertising sign including a frame, an apertured body composed of tubes nested close together carried by said frame, the ends of the said tubes lying in two opposite working surfaces, means for closing the apertures in the said body, said means consisting of plug elements formed from colored transparent material, said plug elements being slidably mounted in the said tubes. a plate carried by the said frame for limiting the relative movement of the said plug elements with respect to the surfaces of the body, and means for transmitting light through the apertures of the said body, the said plug elements and the said plate.

10. In an advertising sign, an apertured Ill) l'lO

body formed of a plurality of tubes nested close together With rods closing desired ones of the tubes, and a housing formed of reflecting material back of said body, said housing containing a light source and having at least a portion thereof angularly ad justable, to reflect the light from the light source through the tubes at a plurality of predetermined angles.

11. An advertising sign including a frame,

configurations composed of thin tubes closely nested together carried by said frame, plug elements of colored transparent mate rial slidably mounted in the said tubes, a plate carried by the said frame for limiting the movement of the said plug elements, and means for transmitting light through said plate and plug elements.

HENAHEM RIVKIN. 

